Ampthill Park House - Ampthill Park, Bedfordshire, UK - Baroque Architecture on Waymarking.com

The house was built in 1686-88 for the Dowager Countess of Ailesbury and Elgin by Robert Grumbold.

The land originally belonged to the King but in 1615 James I gave the land to Mary Countess of Pembroke. Charles II then gave a portion of the land to John Ashburnham in 1661 whose descendent, the first Lord Ashburnham, went on to build Ampthill Park in 1694.

Also on the rest of the estate is the ruined Houghton House, a Grade II Listed building built in 1615 for Mary Countess of Pembroke.

It is believed that Wren (a famous Baroque architect) was consulted by Lord Ashburnham on the design of the family pew in the estate's parish church. Captain William Wynne of Buckingham House advised on interior design in 1706.

Ampthill Park House comprises of eleven bays and has a basement and two storeys. Built of blue brick with red dressings it displays a coat of arms. Decoration includes some later 18th century work from when the house was enlarged and redecorated under Chambers in 1769-71.

After this period the second Earl of Upper Ossory owned the estate and it was he who was in charge when a cross, a Gothic Revival monument, to Katherine of Aragon was erected in the parkland by the architect James Essex. During 1771 and 1772 Capability Brown was employed to improve the grounds and it is this landscape we associate with Ampthill Park today.

In 1864 the Bedford family bought the estate and opened the parkland to the public who were permitted to enjoy organised sport in the grounds.

1914-1918 saw Ampthill Park used as an army training camp during the Great War. Following this in the Second World War the Park housed a Prisoner of war camp.

Bovril Limited bought the Park and adjacent land in the 1940s until in 1947 the Park was sold to the predecessors of Ampthill Town Council for just under £11,000.

Style: Baroque Type of building (structure): Country house Date of origin:: 1686 Architect(s): John Grumbold, the Cambridge mason and architect Web site of the object (if exists): [Web Link] Address: Ampthill Park House Ampthill Park Bedfordshire UK

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Date Logged Log   02/25/2010 bill&ben visited it